‘Drifting Paris’ photo exhibition opens in Taipei

“漂流的巴黎”攝影展覽在台北開幕

French photographer Cedric Alviani signals move toward abstraction with latest exhibit


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — On a breezy Saturday afternoon (May 27), a dozen or so people gathered around a large table for a curatorial talk tied to Cedric Alviani’s photo exhibition “Drifting Paris.”

As the audience settled in with chilled glasses of kombucha, Alviani cued up a powerpoint to chart his growth as a photographer: a transition from camera hobbyist to a flaneur stalking the streets of Paris and Taipei, and most recently, an artist preoccupied with abstraction.

“I started by being fascinated with the camera. Camera technology interested me because it allows you to take what you see in your eye, and share it with an audience,” said Alviani.

Alviani said his hobbyist phase began when he started collecting vintage cameras, and later taking solo photo walks around the city. At some point, Alviani considered his camera a great travel companion, as he never felt alone when he had a camera in his hands.

“Photography is not just a question of vision, but it also involves framing and composing the picture. One has to be good at moving, learning how to move to get the right angle and the right lighting.”

As Alviani became more experienced in photography, he started to seek out his own personal style. After taking portraits and snapshots of everyday life, he became interested in abstract patterns he found on everyday objects such as racks of wooden boxes, steel girders, and even bags of cement.

On a recent work trip to Paris, Alviani became attracted to street-level advertisements hastily placed on abandoned storefronts and vacant spaces. Often these ads were torn down as quickly as they were put up, or covered over with other ads.

“I became interested in these images as I thought that they were ‘survivors’ in some sense. Also, each of the people in these images has a universal appeal or is reflective of some archetype."

“Drifting Paris” features 15 large sized photographs on two floors of Red Room Rendezvous in downtown Taipei. The images blend easily with the painted brick wall and earthy, bohemian decorations of the establishment.

Alviani admitted he spent quite some time choosing the layout of the exhibit as well as the placement of the photos. He believes the images draw upon the energy of space, and also contribute to the artsy vibe of this popular hangout.

“This exhibit is a good opportunity to have a dialogue with audiences. At some point, photographers need to have a show and make it more than just a hobby.”

Alviani believes the exhibit is a watershed moment for his decade-long involvement in photography. He also hopes his show can spur other photographers to mount a show and develop a theme or concept in their work.

“Ultimately, any exhibition is to generate feedback and a response from viewers and this is a way that we can improve as artists.”

“Drifting Paris” is on view at Red Room Rendezvous through the end of June. The exhibit will later move to Alliance Francaise de Taiwan.